


Next Season

by SassyTowers24



Series: Thoughts [1]
Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 04:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 11,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19077478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassyTowers24/pseuds/SassyTowers24
Summary: chapters are not chronological!





	1. Chapter 1

“I can’t believe that you not only listen to this stuff, but you know every word!”

  
“I grew up in North Carolina! Of course I know country music. I even like some of it.”

  
“Whatever.” He stared at her screaming the Dixie Chicks that was blaring out of the pickup trucks stereos.

  
They both had big sunglasses on. And were living up to the mutual promise to continue the FUN over the All-Star Break.

  
“Oh no, please no” he said. “I cannot take a performance of Maroon 5.”

  
“Oh yes” she screamed, yelling the lyrics even louder.

  
The Padres were two games over .500 at the break, something to be proud of, Mike and Ginny had agreed. But everyone was rubbing each other the wrong way. Too much time spent together in confined spaces. Funny enough though, Mike and Ginny never felt stifled in each other’s presence. So when everyone left town, either for the game or a quick family vacation, Ginny decided Mike’s new lease was begging to be taken on a road trip. She immediately turned off their phones and hid any scrap of paper that may have been used as a map and ordered him to drive. She crowned herself the DJ, switching the radio stations on whims, in the middle of songs. Something Mike had argued, but she won by slapping his hand every time he reached for the dial. He succumbed, but only after deciding that he got to pick where and when they stopped. She only turned the radio louder.

Driving down the coast somewhere in California she looked out at the beach and all the people swimming and laying in the sun. She just smiled. Today she was at peace with the trajectory of her life, no regrets today.

  
Mike got off the highway, perhaps seeing her glances at the beach-goers as longing. Maybe it was. He parked the car, and turned off the car, the radio silencing with it. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ginny laughed.

  
“Remember when you performed Taylor Swift during the rain delay in Texas?!”

  
“Shake it Off has become my anthem. T-Swift is my girl.” He said with such nonchalance she just laughed more.

  
“Come on,” he said. “We are renting roller blades!”

  
He was already out of the car and down the board walk.

  
“Fine,” she yelled to him, “but after we are getting so much ice cream!!”  
*********************************************************  
Hours later at a dive bar in a little town nearby, they listened to live music, both with baseball hats on backwards. They assumed they were surrounded by tourists and visitors. Mike was unsurprised that Ginny knew the words to whatever song the band was playing, and she yelled every lyric into his face. He smiled all night.  
She got up and danced a few times, he never did. They sat next to each other most of the night, talking very little, eating and drinking quite a lot. Neither focused on the future, baseball, or that one night in their distant past, just getting lost in the moment.

  
That was a lie, he thought of her. They felt in sync tonight, similar to the nights they played. Eye contact and hand signals for communication, with a few spoken words every couple moments. Moving parallel to each other at the same speed, same direction. Always next to each other but rarely touching. He thought of the way she looked, lit up on the mound, never wavering never smiling. Different than tonight. Tonight she was fluid and smiling, laughing but still with that laser focus. On what he didn’t know. Maybe she was intent on the present moment like he claimed to be.

  
_I’m so in love._ The lyrics from the song echoed in the bar and then hit him like a truck. _Shit,_ he thought.

  
Mike got up and leaned close and told her he was heading to the bathroom, she watched him leave. She finished her beer, and reflected on the day, still swaying to the music. This had been the best day of her life she decided. She had accomplished enough for today, she had a winning record today. She had been spontaneous today. She didn’t have to be every girl’s hero today. Today she was Ginny hanging out with Mike.

  
She smiled when she saw him coming back to her. His mouth reacted with a smile when he saw her. He leaned down to talk to her over the music.

  
“What’s up?”

  
“Let’s go outside.”

  
“Why? Done with this place already?”

  
“Too loud to talk, let’s just take a breather.”

  
“Okay, lead the way.”

  
She grabbed his hand and started snaking her way through the crowd to the exit. She felt proud to lead him, and he wondered what other people saw when they looked at them. Not that many people even glanced in their direction. He was pleasantly surprised that no one had noticed them today. But you never know what picture may pop up online tomorrow. He pushed those thoughts away, they hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of. Most of their teammates knew of this road trip. Many heard of it and only raised their eyebrows with a subtle “oh”.

  
They finally got outside.

  
“Damn, what a perfect night,” she said as she let go of his hand and climbed up on an empty picnic table. The sky was clear, but it was still too early for too many stars. They could hear the music and the ocean. It was warm with an ocean breeze. It really was perfect he thought.

  
Mike followed her to the table with his hands in his pockets. He looked up to the sky, realizing his own perfect happiness as she had done earlier. When he looked back down at her she was sprawled on the table facing the stars.

  
“How is that comfortable?” He laughed.

  
“I had the best day today Mike Lawson. Thank you for spoiling me.”

  
“It was damn near perfect,” he said as he perched himself on the table, looking straight up like she was.

  
She rolled onto her side, propping her head up on her elbow. Suddenly searching his face in place of the sky. Mike wasn’t sure how it made him feel. When he finally made eye contact he searched her face right back, which only widened her smile, dimples flashing in full force. His mouth didn’t move, and she recognized the same focus he showed baseball. He wasn’t flinching first, he didn’t know if it was something he chose or if he was frozen under her gaze, her smile, or some dark magic.

  
“What are we gonna do?” She asked him. He thought long and hard about this loaded question. He could answer it so many ways.  
He chose the safe way.

  
“I say we walk around this little town and find somewhere to stay the night. Or we could jump in the truck, some of the best driving happens at night. I’m not that tired. I’m good to drive if you want.”

  
Her gaze hadn’t broken.

  
“I say we drive.” She smiled even bigger, if that was possible.

  
“Then we drive.” He stood and waited for her to do the same, still looking at the sky. She stepped next to him, also looking up, just for a few more seconds she thought. He offered her his arm, she took it, and they walked off towards the parking lot.  
**************************************  
Driving in the dark down (or up?) the abandoned highway was magical. Songs came on the radio they both knew. Mike felt giddy, driving too fast looking at Ginny too much and singing too loud. He wanted this night to last forever.

  
When the radio station took a commercial he turned it down before Ginny had a chance to notice and slap his hand. She looked like she was getting tired.

  
“What were you thinking about when you looking up at the sky?” He asked.

  
“Just daydreaming.”

  
“About what?”

  
“A little bit of everything.” She leaned back threw her feet up on the dashboard and her hand out the window.

  
_Goddamn, am I living a country song?_

  
“I want specifics Baker.” Her last name signaled his seriousness. But she laughed anyway.

  
“I don’t know. A little of everything.”

  
She stopped for a beat collecting her thoughts. He felt so desperate to know every thought she was having, but bit his tongue.

  
“A little about my dad. I wonder if he would have approved this day off. Part of me doesn’t even really care. But I like to think he’s up there watching out for me. That has me thinking that maybe he’s the reason no one noticed us. That neither of us broke a leg while roller blading. That we didn’t get a ticket or in an accident during that reckless driving back there. I don’t know…. I’m trying not to think of baseball today, but that’s not something I can help…it’s in my blood. I guess I was praying to the baseball gods to help us end well. I want a pennant. I want a ring. I want to pitch in October. I want you to stay another year. I want you to retire this year. I want this day to never end. But I want to be on the mound again.”

  
Mike just listened to the sound of her voice. Looked at the highway. He was feeling the same way.

  
“I was thinking of how even if we suck the next half of the season I honestly have never felt this content. But I also am craving something else. I feel all over the place, but completely at peace with that. I think I was giving thanks too. You know?” She finally chanced a look at him. He was looking straight ahead, the focus was back. She kept looking at him.

  
“I’ve finally found a home and a family. But every time I get all sentimental I’m reminded that it can be taken away in a second. One injury one trade one waiver, it can all be changed. So I’m living in today. I think that will be my new mantra.”

  
He looked over at her with a smile.

  
“What was your old mantra?”

  
Without a pause she responded, “We ain’t done nothing yet.”

  
For some reason that made him sad.

  
“Oooo I love this song.” She turned the radio back up.  
******************************************  
About four miles ago Ginny had curled up on the seat like a cat, still singing. Two miles ago she fell asleep. But Mike still drove. He wasn’t ready for it to end.

  
_I want you to stay another year, I want you to retire this year._

  
Her thoughts about him that she voiced out loud rolled around and around his brain as if on a loop. He wondered her reasoning for both. Because he had pros and cons in both those columns too.

  
She stretched out in her sleep, her head bumping his hip. He put his coat over her like a blanket.

  
Stay: catch for Ginny another year, play every third game, DH in the American League, Play more first base. The yoga Ginny suggested he do had helped his knees. He could squeeze out another year. He was having fun again, real fun, like Little League fun. He could take on a more mentor role, take a pay cut.

  
Go: spend his summers traveling, catch a game whenever he wanted, and hang out with Ev in the WAG box. He could still hang out with the team, (but it wouldn’t be the same).  
He looked at Ginny sleeping. In all honesty she was the only reason to stay and the only reason to go. Stay and be her catch, her teammate, her mentor her best friend. Or go and finally ask her out.

  
Suddenly he didn’t feel like driving any more. Suddenly he wanted to punch something. Or someone. The fun, the perfection had abruptly left. Sucked out the window.

  
He got off at the next exit, slowing the car quickly. Ginny was right about their luck when it came to getting no ticket.

  
As he hit the brake, he grabbed Ginny’s hip in attempt to keep her from rolling off the bench seat. He chuckled when she didn’t even stir from her sleep.

  
Mike saw some gas stations and realized he should probably get gas. He pulled into the first one, hating how harsh the lights were and the horrible commercials being played too loudly. He turned off the car and leaned against the cab while the gas was pumped in, attempting to formulate a plan but instead he found himself staring at the sky, now full of stars, thinking of Ginny’s thoughts. Thinking of his own. Realizing he had to have a serious conversation with her if he wanted to make the right choice. But chickening away from the feelings and emotions that would have to spill, out loud and to another person. He just sighed loudly, _I’m such a coward_.

  
That was a conversation for another day, right?

  
The pump clicked, indicated his pause was over. He went to climb back into the truck but he was struck by Ginny’s brown eyes burning a hole into him.

  
He couldn’t do anything but grin.

  
“How was your nap?” He asked as he got back into his seat.

  
She reminded him of a child who was rudely woke from her nap as she grunted a non-committal sound.

  
She sat up straight and pulled her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees looking right at him.

  
“So, it’s your turn.” She stated.

  
“Okay,” he said, “but first what’s our plan?” Hoping to get her talking and make her forget about whatever his turn was.

  
She grinned like she knew his plan, but played along.

  
“What are my options?”

  
He looked over, suddenly feeling his fatigue set in, especially in his shoulders.

  
“I honestly couldn’t tell you. We are in uncharted territory. Where are our phones anyway?”

  
“I’ll never tell.” She said coyly.

  
“Alright Baker, we need to find a place to stay or a comfy parking lot to park this truck because I am beat.”

  
“Why don’t I just drive until we come to at least a less seedy spot?” She glanced around her and he noticed this was probably a truck stop, and lacked a certain warmness, it wasn’t a very comfortable place.

  
She could drive, he thought, but that would mean he would have to talk. But he was so tired, and it seemed his only option. Maybe he could blast the music then fake falling asleep until he actually did fall asleep.

  
“Yeah, let’s do that.” He jumped down and walked around the truck making eye contact with another driver. He could tell the driver recognized him. Ginny was already in the driver’s seat turning on the engine when he jumped in.

  
“I’ve been made!” He said with fake severity.

  
She played along and punched the gas, the truck screeching out of the parking lot.

  
“Jesus, Gin! I don’t even have a seat belt on!”

  
She just cackled in response, getting back on the highway.

  
He immediately started fiddling with the radio, desperately trying to find something lively enough to distract her. They both know what he’s doing, but she let him avoid her line of questioning. They drove in silence, humming the occasional line to a song. But the escape from the parking lot had woken him up, now he felt his pent up energy. It made him jumpy and no longer at ease with this girl in the truck. He felt himself caving to her, he would bet she could feel it coming.

  
He groaned, “Okay what is it my turn for?” Dread dripping over every word.

  
She smiled triumphantly but she lobbed him one right over the plate when she said, “We don’t have to talk about anything, but I was going to ask you what you thought about as you gazed at the sky.”

  
She looked over at him. He looked back.

  
“Everything and nothing.”

  
She didn’t look satisfied by that answer. But she knew better than to prod him, at least not yet. She waited a few beats, changing lanes then adjusting the mirror.

  
“The sky has a way of showing you your secrets,” she said. “It’s like you can’t be anything but honest when there is nothing between the blue and your bare face.”

  
“What are you a philosopher?”

  
She scrunched her nose, “nah I’m just a ball player. So what are your fears Mr. Padre? What can you not face?”

  
He thought for exactly two seconds before he spat out his answer.

  
“Time. It’s all about the timing.”

  
She nodded, he knew she understood. But he mourned for the hours past of perfect content. He felt uncomfortable and like he needed a shower.

  
Ginny seemed completely at ease.

  
“Well,” she said taking an exit the advertised familiar looking hotels, “the good news is that you don’t have to decide now. We can just hang out in this perfect present tense. How does that sound?”

  
He just stared out the window. He felt the need to sob, out of stress, sadness or relief, he didn’t know. She parked the car in front of a cozy little inn. He watched as she turned the car off.

  
“Thanks, Baker.”

  
She went round the back, grabbing their overnight bags then stopping at his door.

  
“C’mon old man, no existential crisis tonight.”

  
He smiled as he started to get out of the truck. Taking the bags from her they walked into the hotel without a word.  
***************************  
Mike woke up the next morning way too early. The sun was assaulting his face, he groaned remembering they didn’t close the blinds last night. They didn’t do anything except kick off their shoes and lay in their respective beds.

  
He slowly got up to shut any curtain or blind or shutter to make the bright sun stop. But he stopped when he saw the scene outside. A huge beach full of people laughing and lounging. And suddenly he wanted to be down there with them. A smile broke out over his face as he turned to wake up Ginny.

  
“Holy Shit!” He exclaimed when he saw her. She was lying on her stomach and her shirt rode up a little exposing a couple inches of her back. This couple inches, though, was purple. Mike kneeled on the bed and pulled her shirt up a little more to see the whole thing.

  
“Good God Baker, is this from getting hit by that pitch?”

  
She woke up unalarmed by Mike Lawson lifting up her shift. She didn’t move, just opened her eyes.

  
“Yeah. He got me square in the back. As you can see.”

  
“Shit that was two and half weeks ago. What did it looks like a week ago? How did you move? HOW DID YOU PITCH?”

  
She laughed, still nestled into her cocoon of pillows and blankets.

  
“It looks worse than it is.” With a shoulder shrug, she maneuvered her body up from the bed and sat in front of him. His face with still gaping, Mike couldn’t fathom the pain.  
“How fast was that pitch? How do you not have organ damage? Did you get that looked at? I’m gonna kill that guy. What was his name?”

  
She answered none of his questions but sounded her own when her stomach made a very loud hungry gurgle.

  
“I see this conversation is not going anywhere. Do you want hotel breakfast or should we go hunting?”

  
“Hunting!” She yelled as she started jumping on the bed. “I avoid hotel breakfast on vacation!”

  
“Me too.” He said less enthusiastically. “C’mon I want to go to the beach today. Get your swimming suit on, then we can check out and continue our adventure.”

  
He threw her bag at her. She snatched it from the air and ran into the bathroom. He took this time to throw his own suit on and a fresh t-shirt.  
******************************  
Less than an hour later they sat at a local diner. Mike watched and half listened as Ginny attempted to read the whole menu and try to remember everything that looked good.  
“Why the beach?” She asked, putting the menu down and adjusting the stuff on the table.

  
“I woke up, saw it and wanted to do be at it. Was slightly distracted by your battle wound, but I’m excited for a beach day. Can’t remember the last time I had one. What about you? You okay with it?”

  
“Yeah, I don’t think I have ever had a beach day…….”

  
Mike let his face drop into his hand. But he said nothing.  
**********************************  
“This is living.” Mike said as he lounged in a beach chair. Ginny laid next to him on her stomach with just a towel on the sand.

  
“When do we go in the water?” She asked. Mike just looked at her but realized she was serious.

  
“Ummm whenever you want. I was gonna wait until after I digested.”

  
She looked at him, and in a flash had thrown sand in his face and taken off into the water laughing the whole way.

  
“BAKER!!!” He bellowed as he chased her into the water.  
***************************  
“We gotta start making our way back,” Mike moaned. They had spent their whole day at the beach, laying in the sand, making and subsequently destroying sandcastles and of course throwing water at each other. Ginny loved floating on her back in the ocean, having Mike drag her back every time she drifted too far away. It felt good to lie on her back for longer than a few minutes.

  
“Lunch first?” Ginny smiled her smile that got her anything she wanted from Mike, accept maybe a cutter when he wanted a fastball.

  
“Yes, Baker, of course food first.”  
***************************************************  
The trip ended much like it started, with Ginny hanging her head out the window like a dog. Mike experienced that lightness again. He got his phone back from Ginny and learned they were 5 hours from San Diego. Then he put his phone in the glove box, leaving the messages and calls and updates unanswered. He instead turned to Ginny and asked her what her last meal would be.  
***********************  
They pulled up at her apartment after the sun had set. After complaining her eyes hurt from all day in the sun, Ginny had closed her eyes two hours before and stayed unopened until Mike parked the car. The lack of movement woke her slowly. Mike watched her wince as she brushed the massive bruise against the seat as she stretched.  
She turned to him with a sorrowful smile.

  
“This has been the best thing I’ve ever done.” She grabbed his hand. Her mood was off, Mike thought, and it wasn’t from being tired.

  
“You’re my best friend, you know.”

  
He scoffed, “I bet you say that to all the catchers.”

  
Again she smiled that sad smile.

  
“What’s up Rook?”

  
“I just want you to know how much I value our friendship, how amazing these two days have been. How perfect everything is to me. Because it is.”

  
“Okay, you are starting to scare me. Are you leaving? Or dying?”

  
“No….”she laughed with a shaky smile.

  
“I just…..” she squeezed the hand she had been holding.

  
“This girl at the beach asked me if we were a couple. And I didn’t know what to say……no, don’t say anything. I just…… I need to tell you this and I’m gonna ruin everything because I can’t have anything good, but I feel like I have too.”

  
“No, then don’t. Let’s not ruin anything.”

  
She was crying now.

  
“No Mike, it’s my time for speeches.” But she sat there in silence. They sat there in silence.

  
“Okay, maybe no speech,” she sniffled. He smiled a small smile. He was going crazy. What is going on in that head?

  
She took a few more minutes until the tears stopped and her nose stopped running. Then a few more minutes. After Mike watched 3 long minutes slip by, he lost his cool.

  
“Okay, what the fuck Baker?!” He turned his whole body as if to physically insist on an answer. She could tell he was seconds away from just grabbing her and shaking her, turning back into that asshole from last season. So she took a deep breath, grabbed his beard and kissed him.  
***********************  
He kissed her back before pushing her back.

  
“Baker, what the fuck is happening?!” He couldn’t stop staring at those lips. “I think I’m gonna need that speech.”

  
She took a deep breath and met his gaze. He looked as conflicted as she felt.

  
When she still didn’t say anything, he got out of the truck. He went to the front and sat on the bumper. She joined him in a second, after grabbing her bag.

  
“Wanna just come up to my apartment? I promise more talking up there, I just need to gather my thoughts.”

  
“No, I don’t wanna go up to your apartment, Ginny. But now it’s my turn. Yes, my turn.” He grabbed her shoulders.

  
“Ginny…..” he takes a deep breath. “Gin you are my best friend, my favorite pitcher and a one of a kind teammate. And right around the moment you called Old DiCaprio a fish I fell in love with you. It’s been a weird road since then, one that almost led to Wrigley. But the whole teammate and age difference kind of freaks me out, so I never said anything. And if I chose to retire the end of this year I will no longer be a fellow ball player. But God I love playing with you.”

  
Ginny is just wide eyed staring at him.

  
“So, I’m gonna go home. You collect your thoughts. And if you wanna further comment of this situation we find ourselves in come over in the morning, for a run or something. I got to go.”

  
“Wait, what? What am I thinking about? Finish this in the morning?”

  
He turns to face her again, “Yeah. Sleep on this. You know what you feel and now how I feel. You get to make the next step but I want you to be sure.”

  
“Sure about what? Wait, I’m confused.”

  
“Ginny, you are the one with the long career ahead of you and pick of bachelors and the thoughts you can’t seem to gather. I want you to make an educated choice you can live with.”

  
He drove off before she could even think.  
******************  
Mike had been home for 35 minutes and already couldn’t handle anything. He couldn’t watch TV, he couldn’t swim, eat, listen to music, sleep, nothing. He started throwing small objects into the pool. That seemed to help the most. So beer bottles, pool equipment and random items were being launched when he heard the incessant knocking at him front door.

  
He was very close to just ignoring it. He only wanted to talk to one person and she probably wasn’t here.

  
Except she was. And she was mad as hell.

  
Mike didn’t really know how to approach this situation, so he remained silent.

  
“Next time you dramatically drive off, please leave me my damn phone.” She huffed as she walked into his living room.

  
“Shit, Ginny, I’m sorry. I’ll get it now.”

  
He made to walk into the garage. But she was not having it.

  
“No, you are gonna stand here and listen.” She was huffing and puffing. Apparently she had run the 7 miles from her place to his.

  
“I want to be with you. Preferably forever. I don’t know why that’s some decision I was supposed to take the night to think about. But I don’t need the night, the next day, even the next hour. I tried to be your friend as long as I could and going away with you probably wasn’t the best idea, but I want to be around you. In any capacity. At all times. But this time away made me realize that being friends with you like this is gonna end up hurting me in the long run if I don’t speak my truth now.”

  
“But your rule. Ginny, I could never ruin you,” he was using his hands to talk like a crazy Italian.

  
“I don’t care. There’s an exception to every rule. In my perfect world you love me back, we don’t really tell anyone just live our lives the way we have.” She grabbed his hands.  
“So you want me to retire? Because I will.”

  
“No Mike!” she dropped his hands and started pacing. “I want you to play as long as you want to. If you don’t mind keeping this on the down low? And I really wanna kiss you again.”

  
“Wait,” he held a small distance away. “You love me?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“You want to play with me as long as possible?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“You want to be with me?”

  
“Yeehhsssss. LAWSON. What the fuck? I kissed you remember? Why is this so hard to understand?”

  
“Because this has been a dream a fantasy for like, too long, I’m just making sure this is real.” His eye contact was intense, but for once she wasn’t uncomfortable by it. This time she didn’t care if he knew all her secrets.

  
She started laughing as he approached her with his hands out to cradle her face.

  
“We are so fucked, aren’t we?” she questioned and laughed about their situation at the same time.

  
“Oh God yes, but I find I don’t really care,” _as long as I’m fucked with you_.


	2. First Game after the Break

“How much do you hate me right now?” He met with her on the mound with a smirk.

“On a scale of one to ten?” He just nodded in response. 

“Solid ten,” she said without a second thought. 

He whistled a long note, looking out to center field and beyond. 

“Well, let’s beat these assholes then drink us some beer, then fight about it, then you can apologize and we can move on with our lives.”

She grimaced and grunted a response. 

“Did I move the scale at all?”

“Yeah, now I’m at about a 10.2.”

“Good, so progress?” he winked at her and started jogging away.

“Now it’s a 13 you bastard!” she yelled it and didn’t care who heard or who read her lips. 

She smiled despite herself, Goddammit Mike Lawson, she screamed internally, then threw five solid innings of one hit baseball.


	3. Tammi

“Duets!” Dusty yelled at karaoke one night in late August. 

Everyone groaned. They were pretty sick of Lawson’s mandatory fun. The bar was pretty empty. It was a Sunday night in a dry county, they had played and won a day game, but had another night game tomorrow. 

Dusty, for some reason was really proud of his idea and was furiously writing down everyone’s numbers to choose partners. Even Mike was ready to not have fun, he was ready for his shitty hotel room and a long ass call to Ginny’s room. But Dusty looked so excited and Mike knew he had just been through a bad break up. 

“Alright four songs then we turn in,” Lawson declared making special eye contact with everyone that indicated this was for Dusty.  
“Fuck me,” Javanes sighed, quietly. But Mike heard it. 

“Good news Dusty! Javanes just volunteered to go first!” Mike grabbed him by the back of his shirt.

Everyone else looked at their drinks, not volunteering to go with Javie.

Javanes pulled Duarte’s number out. And the two went to read the options. Dusty pulled out the next partnership to “get the ball rolling”.

“43 and…….” Ginny groaned audibly and Melky grabbed her by the shoulders shouting a “yeah Baker, warm up those pipes!” She shrugged off his hands and threw a peanut shell at him. 

“Who will her partner be!?!?!” Dusty was enjoying the MC job too much. 

“Just tell us Dusty, damn,” said Blip. He was at the end of his rope, everyone could tell. 

“36,” he called out and immediately looked like he wanted to fall through the floor. 

Suddenly, Blip appeared in a better mood. 

“Hell yeah, captain! Get up there and show us how it’s done!” He was slamming his hands on the table. 

“Let’s go pick our poison, old man” Ginny was trying to remain calm. 

Mike looked back at the table just to ensure they weren’t, he didn’t know, looking at them like they would a couple? 

“No recordings!” he barked. 

“Oh, cool it,” she barked at him. 

Javie and Duarte started singing Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, and it was amazing, complete with dance moves and horrible acting.

Mike yelled over them “I rescind the no recording policy, this is too good not to experience twice!”

Ginny was flipping through the gross laminated paper filled with song options and mystery stains. 

She yelped and looked at him. “This is it!” he groaned at her choice. 

“Yeah I don’t think so,” he looked at her. “It’s too romantic, Gin.”

“Okay Mike, find a song that’s not about love, especially a duet. Besides if I were Voorhies you wouldn’t have had a second thought,” she huffed at him. 

“Yeah, you’re right, but I’m not secretly in a relationship with Voorhies, thank God,” he was just realizing how horrible this lack of alcohol thing was. Yikes, he needed a beer, and a shot. 

“I’m picking this song, it’s fun. I’ll sing the male part since you are being a chicken shit,” she concluded her statement by sticking out her tongue. 

He barely had time to agree or acknowledge what she said before the tones of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell started the classic Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, and the frantic cheers of Padres. 

Turns out Marvin sings a majority of the song, so Mike got off easy and Ginny soaked it up dancing around him and singing the words right into his smile. 

In just under three minutes, the entire team was in a better mood, and Mike had a new nickname, Tammi. 

Watching the recording that Duarte made Mike could see his love for Ginny written all over his face. He told her this when he called her that night in her room. 

“This is why I thought this song was an issue. Goddamn I am a bad actor,” he was honestly appalled at his performance. 

“You look like you always do. I don’t know why you are freaking out,”

“Look like I always do?! Ginny, any child could tell I’m in love with you!”

“You must always look like you love me then,”

“Ugh Ginny, take this seriously what do I do if someone asks?”

“Mike, no one is gonna ask. Every performance tonight was similar to ours. Just tell the truth it was karaoke night and we were randomly picked as partners and we rocked it. Calm down,” she yawned. 

“Yes, ma’am. I guess you are right,” he was less panicked. 

“I love you, good night,” she was so tired and she honestly didn’t have time for this silly freak out. 

“Yeah okay, good night Marvin. You know I love you,” he sighed.

“Yeah, because it’s all over your face,” she laughed.

“BAKER, I had just calmed down!”


	4. Engagement

Ginny sat on the counter while Mike cooked. A usual occurrence in their house. It was the All-Star Break and Mike was not-so-secretly happy Ginny didn’t make it this year, they got some mid-season quality time, no scheduling no agents or frankly, other people. 

Ginny was thinking hard. He knew this but didn’t ask, if she didn’t spill soon he would bring it up later. But the silent, no need to speak environment, was too sacred to break right now. 

Just as he settled into the silence, she spoke, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. They were never as in sync as people assumed. 

“It’s kind of our anniversary,” she stated quietly, looking at him. He turned off the stove.

“I don’t follow,” 

“Remember our last break?” She smiled, waiting for him to catch on.

“Ah yes, the famous ATB road trip,” he said laughing. Then he looked at her, and she watched the glee leave his face.

“Ginny?” he grabbed her shoulders looking very intently into her eye.

“Will you marry me?”


	5. F.U.N.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **chapters not chronological**

“Pick up the phone,” he growled into his cell as it rang and rang. The ringing stopped, but no noise came through.

“Ginny?”

“WHAT?!” was the whining response. 

“It’s 8am, shouldn’t you have run a half marathon by now?”

“Not when I’m supposed to be ‘taking it slow’ AND when it’s the off season,” she stated with obvious annoyance. 

“Well I have news that will break soon and I need you to know at the unholy hour of 8am,”

“It’s official? Last season?” the questions come out in a mournful cadence.

“Yeah, Baker, this is it,” his sadness matched hers. 

She snorts, “Okay Michael Jackson.”

He laughs too. 

“So any last season requests?”

He’s happy, he thought there would have been more tears, or yelling at least. 

“Yeah. This year we are having FUN!”

“I thought you would ask for a ring,”

“That will come if it will. I don’t want be the grouch that only wanted a ring. Let’s make this memorable with or without the ring,”  
“What do you have in mind?”

“Bring your dancing shoes to Spring Training.”  
*******  
By week two of the regular season AKA ‘Mike Lawson’s Last Hurrah’, the Padres are the team to watch. Sure they are playing good baseball, but it’s the pranks that make it. Mike Lawson has something up his sleeve to add a little spice to every game.

Its starts in Spring Training with the Rookie Hazing. Something Mike takes a huge role in, usually with flow charts and code names. During the season, every game he posts buzz words each player must use in the post-game pressers.   
~  
He invites every celebrity that has Tweeted support to Ginny to the park on specific days, all of which are off-days or when the team is conveniently out of town.   
~  
Mandatory team dinners take on a life of their own. By Opening Day, the infectious “fun” Mike is determined to have catches on. The words “blubber” “Kerfuffle” and “waddle” are worked into even Al’s post-game interviews. Blip owns the record of 35 bubbles placed on Buck’s hat before the first pitch.   
~  
Ginny and Miller start the dug-out vs bullpen dance off, winners chosen by the fans.   
~  
The first rain delay has the Padres split into two team, even jersey numbers vs odd jersey numbers, for a “who can slide the farthest on the wet tarp”. Mike gets ten inches farther than Ginny, which she finds very annoying, but the odd number teams end up with the W in the end. Leaving fans in Wrigley in awe and laughter.   
~  
On April fool’s Day, the whole team leaves the dugout in the wrong jersey. Ginny wearing Stubbs number and warming up at shortstop. Mike has on Al’s uniform while yelling and throwing things in the dugout. Blip, wearing 36, sits behind home plate yelling nonsense plays and orders. The umpires do not find it amusing, but the fans lose their minds. It’s about a 30 minute delay, once jerseys and mitts are returned. But what can anyone say when they beat the first place Braves 8-1?  
~  
When Duarte hits a game-winning homerun, Mike gets everyone to leave the dugout before he rounds third. There is no one at home plate, or even in the dugout. Livan tries to play it cool as he trots back to dugout, without even a batboy in sight (Mike had Melky practically kidnap him). So Livan solemnly put back his helmet and, scared out of his wits, made his way into the clubhouse, only to be mobbed the second he was inside.   
~  
Ginny loves sitting in the dugout, so much so that she steals second base after a walk. She hopes that the faster she scores the more time she has to help Mike with the shaving cream pies they were assembling for a yet-to-be-decided-target. The fans started freaking out when it was announced that this was her first stolen base in the MLB. Suddenly, Mike was calling time. He trotted out to her with a clubby. Ginny froze, worried he was going to yell at her for taking ‘an unnecessary risk’ or whatever, but instead he congratulated her and took the base from under her foot and raised it above his head like a caveman. The crowd went crazy as he did a victory run with it, up and down the baseline. Ginny’s jaw had dropped minutes before and she stood there mindlessly as the clubby replaced the base Mike had taken. After being heckled by the ump, Mike returned to the dugout. 

At the end of the game, she gets the shaving cream pies, all seven of them. 

A couple weeks later, a bronzed base appears in her locker. The engraving reads “Don’t do it again”.  
~  
The team is having “too much fun” Oscar says to Al. 

Al just shrugs and says, “Are you uncomfortable with first place?” 

Al laughs and Oscar grimaces as they look up to the TV, showing Miller’s pregame interview. In the background, Duarte and Omar are fencing with bats, bouncing in and out of the frame.   
~  
After a crazy off day that involved a mandatory trip to the zoo and karaoke with the families/WAGS, the single guys are sitting around playing ‘truth or dare’. Mike chooses dare from Melky who immediately responds. “I dare you to say anything BUT ‘no’ the next time a member of the media asks if you and Baker are ‘more than teammates’.” 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Ginny shrieks.

“You had that ready, ah Melky?” Mike narrows his eyes. Melky only shrugs.

“I don’t like that I was pulled into this,” Ginny was on her feet, waving her beer around. 

Melky just grins, he knows the rules. And Mike had made sure there was no wiggle room.  
~  
Just about every game, someone gets a Gatorade bath, someone has a lip sync battle on top of the dugout, someone smiles big for the camera only to reveal fake teeth, and rarely someone’s helmet gets its inside blacked out with eye black only to be realized when the wearer is stranded on second during a pitching change when the sweat dripping down their face is black.  
~  
Two teammates always hold a fake boxing match while the rest of the team is playing defense. Needless to say, the fans are entertained, spirits are high until Ginny and Mike spare in the dugout on their off day. Ginny jumps on Mike’s back after being deemed the champion. 

After hopping down, helmet off to her adoring fans, Mike growls “nice job, now I’m gonna get the question.” 

Melky is cheering the loudest from the field. Ginny just nervously chuckles. Mike will probably get the question but she knows who is getting the shaving cream pies. And the Gatorade bath. 

After Melky received his pies, bath and then is conveniently locked out of the clubhouse, Mike gets the question. It’s Ed who says, “Mike, any comment about your possible ‘more than teammate relationship’ with Ginny Baker? Twitter is blowing up with accusations.”

Mike doesn’t miss a beat when he says, “Remind me again who that is?”

The journalist’s chuckle but they all still wait for the real answer. Mike starts to look a little nervous. 

“C’mon guys. Have I ever said or done anything to suggest that?” 

The team, who was anxiously waiting and listening to this interview, waits to see how this answer will play off. 

Blip slides up next to Ginny, “he smooth.”

Ginny is still holding her breath hoping he was smooth enough. She had already decided to slay Melky during the next kangaroo court.

The media was not budging, prodding Mike for a ‘real answer’. Ginny watched as he put on his fake mean face, the one she recognized from playing with the Sanders twins. He looked deep into the camera as he stated, “I will not dignify that with a response. Interview is over.” And he walked away dramatically, pushing cameras and reporters out of the way. 

He went straight to Ginny’s private room, it was the only space to hide. Ginny snuck in after, avoiding the press as she went, and practically squealed.

“You did it!” she jumped right on to him. He groaned. 

“This is why people think we are dating, Rookie.”

She didn’t care at that moment and squeezed him harder. 

“I have a plan to get back at Melky,” she smiled. 

“I’m all ears.”  
~  
The next time Melky comes up to bat, his normal song of Sail has been replaced with Man, I Feel like a Woman. The second at-bat he walks up to the sound of pop-icon Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana singing Nobody’s Perfect. For the third time the walk up song is the theme song for Barney careens throughout the stadium. For his fourth and final at bat, Melky grits his teeth in the on deck circle glaring at Baker and Lawson as they practically giggle at him while making heart eyes at each other. 

But when his name is announced, Sail is played. Strangely, that was on the only at bat that results in an out. He returns to the dugout shaking his head. And Mike is sure he has learned his lesson.  
~  
It took about two road trips until Mike decides to institute road trip dress codes to go along with a theme. He was like a little kid, clutching a list of ideas that he had written out on the plane ride while Ginny napped aggressively against the window. She woke up to him poking her with a pencil with a huge grin.

“Ugh, what?” she mumbled taking her headphones off. 

“Do you own a cowboy hat?”  
~  
In about Mid-June Ginny realizes she hasn’t been issued a fine. She knew they walked the line between funny/amusing and upsetting/dangerous when it came to the front offices, both from the Padres and MLB. 

It really stood out when she hadn’t gotten one after her and Struab (the bullpen catcher) instigated a chicken fight with Duarte and Mel. Oscar had pulled her aside to tell her it was coming, but it never did. 

She asked Blip. He hadn’t paid one. 

And after slow and careful investigating, she realized no one, besides Mike (whom she hadn’t broached the subject with) had paid a dime. 

“Hey there, captain,” Ginny asked as she leaned on his locker.

Mike just looked at her as he aggressively chewed his gum.

“How much do I owe you?”  
“Not today, Rookie. I got a stretch session with Kiki then a scolding session with Duarte. I gotta nail some cleats all while trying to think of a song to prepare for my turn on the dugout. I’m on the day after tomorrow for Lip Synch Battle. Should I go old school? You know something I know, or modern and really surprise people? Like go for the shock value?”

“How. Much. Mike?”

He closed the training room door in her face.

Ginny opened the door and walked in, then threw the towel off his face as he lay on the table. She widened her eyes at him.

“Don’t worry about it, Rookie. It’s part of the job description.”

Ginny heard how high he put up his music after he popped his ear buds in. She could decipher the lyrics from standing a foot above him.

“Uh! You are so annoying!” She saw him smirk, so she knew he heard her. 

Ginny wrote him six checks before she stopped trying. She would find them ripped up in her shoe, her helmet, her mitt and even one in her water bottle. 

One day as she sat outside waiting for her car, Mike walked by clicking the fob on his key chain to unlock his car. 

“By the way, tell no one about the fines,” he almost spit out at her with no eye contact. 

“What, not even a ‘please’?” 

“Don’t ruin this for me, Baker,” he shut his car door and drove away before she could even think of a response, stunned by the seriousness of his plea.   
*  
She called him that night. Before he had a chance to speak, she let the words just fall out of her mouth.

“How much, total?”

“Ginny…”

“Just tell me,”

“Why?” she could feel the politeness leaving the conversation.

“Curiosity.”

“Baker…” he practically growled. 

“I just want to know if it’s more or less than a Chevy truck and a ring,” her smile, though unseen by Mike, was contagious. 

“Are you telling me I’m gonna be MVP?”

“Next subject please!”

“I just leased a new truck…”

“What color?”

“Dark green,” God he felt good. 

“Sounds like it needs to be taken on an adventure,”

“Yeah, like where?”

“An adventure with no map, off-roading baby,” she felt her crazy coming out.

“That sounds amazing, Baker,”

“What’s our record?”

“I don’t know, we are above .500 though,” Mike scratched his head. This time last year he would’ve been able to tell you everyone in the league’s record. He could hear her yawning and could practically see her fighting against sleep.

“If we are still above .500 at the break, and neither of us gets asked, we should take that trip,” she was like a little kid fighting to stay awake.

“It’s a deal, Ginny. Now go to sleep.”

“Uh huh,” was the only response he got, beside the tone indicating the end of the call.

“Goddammit, Baker,” he mumbled to himself.   
*******  
“Good morning, Captain,” Ginny’s cheery tones rang out through the phone’s speakers.

Mike made a strangled, mumbling sound in return. 

“Did we agree to go on an adventure last night? When I was drunk off no sleep and a win?”

“Yeah, but there were conditions attached,” Mike struggled through a yawn before adding, “What, did you forget?”

“Lack of sleep makes me lose my short term memory. Honestly, I thought it was a dream.”

“I feel slightly offended. You forgot a whole conversation that you initiated?”

“Oh, get over it. We got a game to win, we are only four games above .500 and I’m pitching three of the next ten. We got the Marlins coming and they scare me. It will not be my fault if the road trip does not happen.”

With that, she hangs up, scared she said too much.


	6. New Line

He kisses her head. She feels sweaty, smelly and like her body has been stretched too far in every single direction. She’s laying in the hospital bed and everyone around her seems to be moving so fast in so many places. But, Mike’s hand is on the top of her head with his thumb running back and forth over her forehead. And he’s smiling. So she focuses on that. 

The sounds are almost as overwhelming as the moving people. Too many voices and machines and electronics. But the baby is crying so she focuses on Mike’s eyes and the baby’s cries.

He scoots closer to her after the nurse confirmed that they were just assessing and weighing and cleaning up Baby Lawson before being reunited with Mom and Dad. 

“You blow me away, you know?” Ginny has never seen him so happy.

“You need a new line,” she giggles at him. 

He just shakes his head at her. They look to their baby, now wrapped in a blanket with a hat on. The nurse looks to Ginny and offers her the bundle. But Ginny just shakes her head and nods to Mike. 

“It’s his turn,”

“You sure?” He asks, but opens his arms to his child. 

“I’ve had nine months,” she says quietly, pretty sure he didn’t hear a thing.


	7. Kidney Beans

It’s been really fun lately, being a Padre. Mike makes sure of that; between his vow to make his last season memorable and playing quality baseball they are the team to beat.   
He doesn’t realize its driving other teams crazy. Afterwards he feels like an idiot for not seeing it. But being in charge of morale is not easy. Being a catcher/first baseman/captain/mentor is not easy, but he should have seen this coming. 

Ginny said she was worried about the Marlins, he just assumed it was because she had never seen them. But apparently, she had seen the writing on the wall, she had just misinterpreted it. Because very few things could have prepared her for a 97 MPH fastball to the kidneys. The thump is heard and he swears it echoes around the stadium six or seven times. He feels it every time.

She, however, makes no sound. She makes no eye contact. She patiently waits for the bat boy to come and get her stuff then jogs to first. 

When it happens, Mike shouts a loud “Fuck”. He looks at the pitcher and the catcher and the ump and when it appears none of them are going to do anything, he looks to Al. Al already suspects that Mike is gonna blow, so he walks toward him as if he is a spooked horse, or a crazy man with a knife. 

“It is part of the game here, Lawson,” he speaks slowly, but with purpose.

“You don’t bean pitchers with a fastball, Al!” he is seething. 

“Don’t embarrass her,” he answers as he walks away like they were conversing about the weather.

When the inning is over, she trots back in and Voorhies meets her with the smile that Mike can’t muster.

“So, how long you gonna be pissing blood there, Baker?”

She grimaces but takes her hat and glove from him. 

“From the sting, about 10-12 months,” she offers back. 

Voorhies claps her on the head and yells out to the rest of the team, “No one slaps Baker’s back or ass for the rest of the season. This is NO JOKE y’all.”

She nods as him, then slaps his ass.

Mike finally has all his gear on, including his game face.

“So, how we gonna handle this?” he asks as they make their way out onto the field. 

“Well, I’m gonna throw and you’re gonna catch,” he can tell she is not in a good mood.

“Your call, Rook,” as heads to home.

No one reaches base the rest of the game. When Al takes her out after 7 and 2/3 innings, he laughs as she hands him the ball. They are up 6-2. 

“They messed with the wrong team, eh?”

The whole infield nods, completely serious. 

“DON’T TOUCH THE BACK,” Voorhies reminds everyone, as they all move to touch her head or mitt as a ‘good job’ when she finally makes her exit. Mike just nods, not trusting his body to touch hers.

When Markson starts his jog in, Mike looks to everyone with malice.

“Let’s end these motherfuckers.”

Voorhies gets the shaving cream pies.


	8. On the Bus

CapMLawson36: Why aren’t you sitting with me?

GBakesPitches: Because I saw a whole row in which to stretch out in.

M: But I haven’t seen you in forever.

G: We just played 4 games together and have been out like every night

M: Yeah, but you never sat next to me.

G: I must have, at least once

M: Not once

G: You are very needy. I saw you every day at the park

M: You didn’t pitch! You were always in the bullpen. The only contact we’ve had have been fist bumps, high fives, and phone calls at night. And you feel asleep almost every time.

G: I’m sorry do you need a tissue?  
(She hears him laugh from a few rows in front of her.)

M: No. I just need my girl.

G: Just a one hour bus trip and a 4 hour plane ride then I’ll accept a ride from you.

M: Deal. But only if you sit next to me on the plane.


	9. The Bullpen

“God, how do you only play every fourth game? This sucks.”

“Then go back to the dugout.”

“Can’t, gotta let Livan lead today. Don’t want him looking to me, and I don’t have the best poker face.”

“You don’t say,”

“Put the dimples away, Baker,”

“You know I don’t control them,”  
~  
“What do you people do all day?”

“Chart pitches, dance offs, if you’re Dirt you throw balls with your number on them to pretty girls in the stands,” Miller was enjoying uncomfortable Mike.

“I rate everyone’s ass,” Ginny offered, with a straight face. 

“She does. I think Joe Mauer leads the league, ah Baker?”

“Aw, Miller! You do listen when I speak!”  
~  
“Holy shit, how is it only the fourth inning?”

“You are like two whines away from a mutiny, Captain…..just warning you. You are straight up annoying the bullpen.”

Mike just grumbled.   
~  
“Scale of one to Mike Lawson, how is Livan doing?”

“Not bad, Miller, I only want to maim him instead of straight up murder and skin suit,”

“What kind of maiming we talking? How severe?”

“Erm, shattered knee caps,”

“Damn, didn’t realize he was doing so well,”

“Games not over yet. You seen Baker?”  
~  
“How was your day, over all?”

Ginny sat on the breakfast bar eating dinner, spaghetti specifically.

“Honestly, really weird. You rate butts from the bullpen?”

“Oh yeah, we got the best vantage point. Especially the base runners.”

“Mauer, huh?”

She just shrugged, face full of red sauce.

“I got a thing for catchers,” she states. 

The statement only knocks him off balance for a second before he remembers to breathe. 

“So will you be joining us in the pen more?”

“Maybe, I mean, Livan, I got to cut the cord sometime,”

“You ever think of coaching one day?”

“It’s come up,”

“With who?”

“Don’t worry about it,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, Ginny,”

“Oh my God, someone semi-offered you something with the Padres, didn’t they?”

He made no eye contact, just started washing dishes, which was supposed to be her job. He cooked. 

“Oh shit,” she realizes, in part thanks to the bad poker face. “You don’t want to say ‘yes’ because of me. You can’t coach your girlfriend. God damn! This wasn’t supposed to get –“  
But he grabs her arms, shakes her and talks louder than her.

“Ginny! No one said anything definite. It was years ago. Please relax.” He releases her after she gives him a slight nod.

She just drops her face onto her arms that are sprawled across the counter, grumbling a low “fuck”. 

“I’m keeping all my options open. If I decide on coaching, we will figure it out,”

“Promise?”


	10. Father Time

“Mike! Mike! Babe, wake up!” 

Ginny was whisper yelling. 

“Ahh. What time is it? How drunk are you? Ginny, its 330 AM.”

“I know but I had to warn you,” he detected a slight slur. 

“Goddamn, your feet are ice! What do you mean ‘warn’? Does someone know?”

“Why didn’t you stay out with us? I missed you.”

Mike smiled as she cuddled up against him. She smelled like a bar. And other men. But she was in his bed. And she was falling asleep.

“Baker! Focus. What did you wake me up for?”

“Humpf. Well, I wanted to understand why you stranded me with those buffoons without saying a proper goodbye, ya jerk.”

“First of all, I texted you. Second of all, WHAT DID YOU WAKE ME UP FOR?” He was starting to panic maybe their secret wasn’t a secret anymore. Maybe they had somehow lost their 8 game lead in their division. 

“Oh,” she giggled. “Dusty is gonna start calling you Father Time. So come up with a good comeback without being obvious.”

His mouth couldn’t form words, he couldn’t decide if he was mad or amused. 

“Explain this to me. You stayed out too late, drank too much then at great risk, came to my house at 330 in the morning to warn me about Dusty?”

“No, you idiot. I chased after you like a love sick puppy because I hate sleeping alone and I needed an excuse to wake you up. And I was really sneaky.”

All evidence of her being drunk disappeared. He held her closer. 

“What kind of comeback did you have in mind?”


	11. Gimmick

“Ginny, you are a full season into your professional career up in the bigs, so can you look back to that first start where you left barely into the first inning? You’ve spent the first year looking forward, do you mind looking back?” Larry the reporter asked her post-game. 

“Sure. What do you want to know?”

“Were you called up too early?”

“No.”

“Can you elaborate?”

“I was ready, but the MLB wasn’t.”

“Your team specifically?”

“In part. I mean, the whole world stopped when it happened and, to be honest, it freaked me out and no one knew how to deal with it or help me.”

“How did you feel?”

“Like a gimmick, a cheap way to fill seats,” she looked into the camera and all the guys who had been with her last year all wanted to sink into the ground. She was a room away, but she was looking into their collective soul with big brown eyes. 

“You still feel that way?”

“I don’t think about it, actually.”

“So what do you think about?”

“Strikes,” her smile was back. 

“Thanks, Ginny,” he moves on to the next play, the next story. 

Mike, however, tears his eyes from the screen and decides he needs to hit someone. But the only one deserving was Mike from last season.


	12. Welcome to New York

The trade had been both expected, and right out of left field. She was established in San Diego, it is where her family was, the only home the kids had known, hell, the only home she had known. But the Padres were rebuilding and the new GM was making waves, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to swim in that water. 

She and Mike talked about the potential of LA, DC, and Florida; when she called him from the front office she could barely gasp the location of their next home.

“New York…..the Yankees.”  
~  
A few weeks later they had packed up the kids, some belongings and flown across the country, only to be greeted by the biggest mob of press Ginny had seen in years. She looked to Mike and he just nodded, picking up their two year old murmuring comforting words, Ginny knew how scared the little one was, she felt that same fear. But the baby was snuggled into her chest, none the wiser of how many people wanted his picture. They trudged through the airport for a few steps before finding the Yankees representative. He led them quickly to a car and took care of the luggage.

Once they were stuck in city traffic, Mike grabbed her hand, “everything is okay,” he knew, somehow, that she was regretting everything.   
~  
Everything felt off. She kept tripping over the unfamiliar lay out and the furniture of the loft/apartment thing they had. The rest of the family seemed to enjoy the NY pizza and pop. Everything just tasted wrong to Ginny, everything felt too cold. She was staring out the huge window wondering at the vastness of the city, when she heard Mike wrestling the kids into coats. 

He handed her the baby, all bundled up and said, “come on, I got a surprise,” then threw her a jacket before turning to run after an independent toddler refusing her coat.   
~  
Before she knew it they were again assaulted by paparazzi as they got into another car. But, she already felt lighter.   
~  
While desperately trying to make the baby smile, Ginny lost track of where they were. She looked up and saw Yankee Stadium.

“What are we doing here?”

“Baseball, my dear,” he answered then started getting the kids out, releasing their daughter to shrieks of laughter down the tunnel, which Ginny hoped led to the club house. 

“Gin! Grab her! I don’t want her to see anything she can’t un-see!”

Ginny ran after her yelling reminders about holding mommy’s hand. She followed the sound of giggles, exasperated at the child’s speed.   
Suddenly they were outside. On a field. Thee baseball field. 

“So this is what this feels like,” Mike stood next to her with the baby, just relaxing on his daddy’s shoulder looking up at the lights. Mike dropped his bag and put the little one down to crawl on the pristine grass. He handed her a glove.

“You throw, I catch?” He didn’t need to ask, she was already looking for a ball.

So with one kid eating the chalk line, and the other one running the wrong way around the bases, Ginny Baker-Lawson threw her first pitch as a New York Yankee to her husband (after shaking him off twice) in an empty stadium.


	13. Tuesday

“Mike?” Ginny had just returned from a run. Completely sweaty and out of breath.

“You know, its times like these that I love retirement,” he was reading the paper and drinking coffee, decidedly not sweaty or out of breath. 

She didn’t even smile.

“Shut up, I need you to listen and not freak out.”

“Uh..,” she narrowed her eyes at him. He made it a point to fold his hands on the table like a good student/fiance. 

“I don’t want a wedding,” she exhaled. Honestly since the day she met him she knew she wanted the relationship and not the spectacle. 

“Sweet. So, courthouse? I’m free Tuesday,” he went back to the paper. 

“Really?” This was not how she pictured this going. 

“Do you mind if I don’t wear a ring? Jewelry is not really my thing.”

“Then tattoo it on, baby. There is no way I am not marking my territory,” she was drinking his coffee. 

“So Tuesday is going to be booked solid. Courthouse then tattoos? Or other way around?”

She couldn’t really speak after that. Her smile was so big, her dimples were popping, eyes sparkling. Suddenly, he was the one out of breath.


	14. Relief

“I’m gonna kill you,”

“Why?”

“You said pitching Game 1 would guarantee I wouldn’t be pitching Game 4. Yet here I am.”

“You should be thrilled!”

“I hate you so fucking much right now. OH MY GOD.”

“Calm down Baker, everyone can see you yelling at me right now.”

“Do I look like I care?! I cannot believe I might screw this up for the whole team. The whole city. My whole gender.”

“Drama. We are up by three in the 9th. Focus on one thing.”

“The bases are loaded, or did you not notice. But yes, one thing. What is it?”

“Okay, so when you get this one measly out, are you gonna catch me? Or should I plan on catching you?”

“GET BEHIND THE PLATE, YOU BASTARD!”

“DON’T SHAKE ME OFF, PSYCHO!”  
Ginny Baker pitches one pitch of relief in Game 4 of The World Series. Cooper scalds it right back to her. She catches it, eyes wide she stares back behind the plate at Mike and sinks into the dirt.   
The Padres dog pile on the pitcher’s mound.   
Even when it feels like the life is being squeezed out of her, but she grabs Mike and yells “Okay, maybe I don’t completely hate you.”


	15. Relieved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> immediately following last chapter

“We saw you and Baker exchange some heated words during her warm-up. You two okay?”

“Its how she expresses herself when she’s impressed,” what he says is smug, but it comes out as earnest. 

“Impressed with the team? With you?”

“No, I think she’s finally impressed with herself,” Mike answers. 

“LAWSON,” Baker yells from across the room. She has a bottle of champagne in one hand and a World Series championship hat on sideways. “Find a new subject! Don’t believe anything he says! He lies!”

Mike just runs at her and wraps her in a bear hug, swinging her around listening to her laugh.

That was his last interview in that clubhouse.


End file.
